Sixteen criminals from the Merseyside region were jailed over the past week for a combined total of 54 years and four months. Among them were a drug dealer who holidayed in Thailand, a thug who pushed his girlfriend out of a window, and a former teaching assistant who staged a 'frighteningly stupid' plot to escape car finance.
Notable Cases
Nathan Owen, 33, of Prestatyn, called 999 claiming his Jaguar's brakes had failed, leading police to box him in on the M62. He had invented the defect to get out of a finance deal he couldn't afford. He admitted dangerous driving and fraud, receiving four years and three months.
Joseph McCollum, 39, had his DNA found on the trigger of an Uzi submachine gun hidden in a grandad's attic, and was linked to a second gun used in a shooting. He admitted weapons charges and was jailed for six years.
Fraud and Violence
Deborah Swift, 54, a serial fraudster, siphoned over £5,000 from a golf club and over £20,000 from an equestrian centre. She was jailed for two years and eight months.
James Murray, 34, subjected his girlfriend to years of abuse, including pushing her out of a first-floor window. He admitted unlawful wounding and controlling behaviour, receiving three years and nine months.
Drugs and Weapons
Ronnie Beardmore, 22, stashed firearms and drugs worth tens of thousands, leading to a lavish lifestyle with a £12,000 Thailand holiday. He was jailed for 11 years and eight months.
Reece Summers, 24, attempted to fly a drone with drugs into HMP Liverpool, but it got stuck on the roof. He admitted conveying prohibited articles and was jailed for two years.
Other Sentences
Ahmed Mohammed, 19, dubbed the 'not-so-Artful Dodger', admitted importing cannabis and theft, receiving 22 months. His accomplices received sentences ranging from 14 months suspended to two years and two months.
Christopher Crotty, 38, clashed with police in Wetherspoons a day after release, receiving 22 months. Kellie Howarth, 45, was jailed for 30 months for drug dealing. David Finney, 54, was jailed for 10 years for drugs and a firearm.
